Brush fed tape dispenser



g- 29, 1967 J. H. CASVEY 3,333,125

BRUSH FED TAPE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 23. 1960 INVEN TOR.

JAMES H. CASEY BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,338,125 BRUSH FED TAPE DISPENSER I James H. Casey, Roseville, assignor to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 10,239 2 Claims. (Cl. 83-210) The present invention relates to tape dispensing machines which include a brush formed with bristles which terminate in free ends to collectively define a surface to which adhesive tape will detachably adhere during relative motion between the brush and the machine, to move the tape from one place to another within the machine.

A machine of the type to which this invention relates cimprises a brush and means for providing relative movement between the brush and the machine. An adhesive surface of adhesive tape is brought into contact with the free ends of the bristles of the brush, so that the adhesive on the tape adheres to the ends of the bristles, and the tape is moved in the machine with the movement of the bristles of the brush. The machine can include means for mounting a supply roll of tape; means for guiding a length of tape from the supply roll to the surface formed by the free ends of the bristles of the brush, so that a continual length of tape is adhered to the free ends of the bristles; and means for severing pieces from the free end of the length of tape.

A machine of the present invention can be used just to advance or transport a length of tape on a brush, without severing the tape. Of course, the length of tape can be severed by means located at a distance from the brush, after the length of tape has been advanced or transported by the brush, or the length of tape can be severed into pieces and the pieces can then be transported by adhering the pieces to the brush. Also, pieces can be severed from a length of tape either as the tape is removed from the bristles, or while the tape is adhered to the bristles. When the length of tape is severed while the tape is adhered to the bristles, the severed pieces can be left on the brush until the operator is ready to use'them. The operator of the machine can easily remove the severed pieces from adhesive contact with the bristles by inserting a finger under the tape, through or between the sides of the bristles, and by moving the finger against the side of the tape which is adhered to the ends of the bristles, the operator can lift a severed piece of tape ofl the ends of the bristles.

Although certain varieties of brushes will perform most advantageously with certain types of tape, almost any variety of brush can be used in a machine of the present invention. Also, almost any type of tape can be used if an adhesive surface of the tape is, or can be, adapted to become adhered to the bristles. The bristles of the brush selected for use with a particular t-ape are preferably stiff enough so that they will not bend appreciably during the operation of the machine. While it is possible to adhere some tapes to the sides of the bristles of some brushes, and to advance or transport tape so adhered, I have found that the usual operation of the machine will be more satisfactory if the tape is adhered to the ends of the bristles. Also, I have found it to be desirable to grind the ends of the bristles of a brush, to even and square off the ends, if difliculty is encountered in obtaining adherence of some types of tapes to some varieties of brushes.

A machine of this invention contains many advantages in handling and dispensing adhesive tape. Such a machine is capable of extremely satisfactory operation with most of the many varieties of pressure-sensitive tape which handling short pieces of any tape. A short piece of tape can be severed from a length of tape while the length is adhered to the ends of the bristles, and the piece can be left on the brush to be removed when the operator is ready to use it. The length of tape adhered to the brush can be severed several times, to form several pieces of the same or various sizes, and the operator can select the particular sized piece he desires to use without regard to the sequence in which the pieces were formed on the brush. Also, by the use of the novel switch arrangement to be hereinafter described, a selected sequence of pieces can be caused to be repeated as the terminal pieces are removed from the brush.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of a machine of this invention, with a roll of pressure-sensitive tape mounted therein, showing the brush in motion to move the length of tape from the roll through the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, after the brush has stopped its motion, and the knife has been activated to sever a piece of tape from the length;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken along lines 44 of FIGURE 2, showing details of a stop switch; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the shield and actuator for the stop switch shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, reference character 20 designates-a mounting plate to which the parts of this machine are attached. Motor 21 is afiixed to mounting plate 20, and drive shaft 22 of motor 21 is journaled through mounting plate 20 and extends outwardly from the opposite surface of said plate from motor 21. Sprocket 23 is affixed to drive shaft 22, so that said sprocket will be rotated by the operation of motor 21.

Annular brush 24 contains bristles 25, which bristles project radially to terminate in free ends lying substantially equidistantly away from the axis of said brush. Brush 24 is atfixed to collar 26, and collar 26 is journaled on axle 27. Axle 27 is attached through mounting plate 20 and said axle is held in place by nut 28. Sprocket 29 is affixed to collar 26 and chain 30 connects sprocket 29 with sprocket 23, so that the operation of motor 21 will result in rotational movement of brush 24, around axle 27, in the direction shown by arrow 31. Motor 21 is preferably an electric motor of the type which will stop the instant the power supply to it is turned 01f, so there will be no coasting motion transferred to brush 24.

Tape supply roll 34, containing a length of pressuresensitive adhesive tape T, is mounted on hub 35, and hub '35 is rotatably mounted on shaft 36. Hub 35 contains ridges 33 to hold tape supply roll 34 more firmly. One end of shaft 36 is atfixed to block 37, and block 37 is affixed to mounting plate 20. The other end of shaft 36 is threaded to receive wing nut 38. Spring 39 is positioned on shaft 36, between wing nut 38 and hub 35, to hold hub 35 tightly against block 37, so that tape supply roll 34 will not freely unwind, and allow an excess of tape T to be unwound from said roll. The tension in spring 39 p can be adjusted by moving wing nut 38 on shaft 36, to

adjust the unwind tension in tape T.

Roller guide 42 is rotatably attached on shaft 43, and one end of shaft 43 is affixed to mounting plate 20. Tape T is threaded from tape supply roll 34 around roller guide 42, and then onto the surface formed by the free ends of bristles 25 on brush 24, with an adhesive side of said tape in contact with said bristles. The pressure-sensitive adhesive on the surface of tape T adheres lightly and detachably to the ends of bristles 25, but the adherence is such that subsequent rotational movement of brush 24 will act to strip tape T through the machine from tape roll 34, as is shown in FIGURE 1. As is shown in FIG- URE 3, tape supply roll 34 is preferably positioned so that tape T will be aligned to contact the ends of bristles 25 along one edge of brush 24, to make it easier to lift the severed pieces of tape off said bristle ends.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, switch 44 is affixed by bolts 45 to one end of switch arm 46. The other end of switch arm 46 contains an aperture which is journaled on axle 27, so that switch arm 46 can be rotated to a desired position around axle 27. Switch arm 46 is held in the selected position by tightening nut 28. One end of shield 47 is attached to switch 44 by bolts 45, and the other end of said shield is bent to a U-shape and said U-shaped end of shield 47 which face toward the direction of movement of brush 24 (which direction is shown' by arrow 31), contain cut-out slots 48. Slots 48 are formed to extend on both above and below the surface formedby the ends of bristles 25. Thus, the leading edge L of tape T which is carried on the ends of bristles 25 will be caused to enter slots 48 in shield 47 when the tape has been advanced to the position occupied by said shield, such as the position shown in FIGURE 2. Actuator 49 for switch 44 extends from said switch into the U-shaped end of shield 47, and said actuator is formed so that the free end of said actuator will be positioned between slots 48 in shield 47, as is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. Thus, when tape is carried. on the surface formed by the free ends of bristles 25, by the movement of brush 24, and tape T is moved into slots 48 of shield 47, leading edge L of said tape will strike actuator 49, to operate switch 44. As is shown in FIGURE 4, shield 47 serves to prevent bristles 25 from touching actuator 49, by causing the bristles which would otherwise contact said actuator to be separated to each side of said shield. Those bristles which are in adherence with the tape being carried on the brush are disadhered from the tape by shield 47.

Knife 50 is afiixed to one end of knife arm 52, and knife arm 52 is pivotally attached by pin 53 to mounting plate 20. Solenoid 54 is affixed to mounting plate 20. One end of connecting link 56 is pivotally attached to the plunger of, solenoid 54 by pin 55. The other end of connecting link 56 is pivotally attached by pin 57 to knife arm 52' at the end of said arm opposite from the attachment of knife 50, so that the operation of solenoid 54 will cause knife arm 52 to pivot on pin 53, to move knife 50 against the tape which is adhered to brush 24.

Preferably, the cutting edge of knife 50 is serrated, and knife 50 is so affixed to knife arm 52- that the cutting edge of said knife is set at an angle to the surface formed by the ends of said bristles, to provide a guillotine-type of cutting action against the tape. After the tape has been severed by the cutting edge of knife 50, said cutting edge is moved through the surface formed by the ends of bristles 25 and between said bristles. Thus, it is preferable to mount knife arm 52 so that the cutting edge of knife 50 will sever the-tape in a direction approximately parallel to the bristles which support the tape at the severing point. When knife '50 is so positioned, the cutting edge of said knife will not normally sever the bristles, but will move said bristles apart from each other, to each side of knife 50. I have found that bristles made of nylon are extremely resistant to damage by a knife, even when the knife is set to contact the bristles at an angle tothe bristles.

Stop 58 is affixed to mounting plate 20, and said stop is positioned to contact the edge of knife arm 52, to limit the rotational movement of that arm. One end of spring 59 is attached to knife arm 52, and the other end of said spring is attached to mounting block 20. Spring 59 acts to bias knife arm 52 against stop 58 in the position shown in FIGURE 1.

A controllable supply of electric power is supplied to the machine, and said supply is connected to motor 21, switch 44 and solenoid 54, to operate said parts, and said parts are also connected together electrically, so that the operation of one part will act to operate another.

In the operation of this machine, tape T is threaded from supply roll 34, around roller'guide 42 and onto brush 24, with the adhesive side of'tape T in contact with bristles 25. Tape T adheres to the free ends of bristles 25, and the electric power supply is turned on to operate motor 21. The operation of motor 21 serves to rotate brush 24, with bristles 25, to carry tape T on the surface formed by the ends of said bristles in the direction shown by arrow 31, toward switch 44. As leading edge L of tape T is thus moved into slots 48 in shield 47, said leading edge strikes actuator 49 of switch 44, moving said actuator to activate switch 44. The actuation of switch 44 acts to de-energize motor 21 and to energize solenoid 54. The de-energization of motor 21 acts to instantly stop the rotational movement of brush 24, and the energization of solenoid 54 causes the plunger of said solenoid to pull on connecting link 54, to rotate knife arm 52 and move knife 50 against tape T, to sever a piece P from the end of tape T.

The operator of the machine can then insert a finger into the side of bristles 25, between said bristles and beneath the severed piece of tape P, and, by pulling on piece P, the operator can remove said piece from its adherence to the ends of said bristles. Actuator 49 is spring biased to return to its original position as soon as piece P is removed, and this movement of actuator 49 functions to actuate switch 44. This actuation of switch 44 causes solenoid 54 to be dis-energized, and spring 59 acts to move knife arm 52, with knife 50', away from brush 24. Motor 21 is energized simultaneously with the de-energization of solenoid 54, and said motor then operates to again advance tape T. The machine then acts to sever another piece P from the end of tape T.

If the operator desires to use successive pieces of tape, either of the same length or of differing lengths, pieces of the desired length can be cut by the manual operation of knife 50 as the tape is threaded onto brush 24, before the electricity is turned on, or piece P can be cut into the smaller pieces by the use of scissors or other independent means. The pieces must be severed so the first piece desired is the one closest to actuator 49, with the pieces next desired in sequence thereafter. Then, when the machine is turned on, and the piece which bears against actuator 49 is removed by the operator, the machine will act to advance and sever another piece from tape T, and the length of the new piece will be of the same length as the piece which was removed. If the, total length of the sequence of pieces is to be longer, in some instances, actuator 49 can be moved (by loosening nut. 28 and moving arm 46) around axle 27, along the periphery of brush 24, so that the distance between said actuator and knife 50 will be greater. Conversely, of course, actuator 49 may be moved closer to knife 50 when a shorter total length of pieces is desired.

Time switches can be used between the electrically operated parts, to delay the sequential operation of this machine, and various means can be employed to accomplish the functions of the electrically operated parts. Also, a feed means can be employed to advance the tape toward described embodiment undoubtedly suggest themselves,

and various modifications of my machine, embodying some or all of the novel features herein disclosed, can be envisioned. Such variations and modifications are comprehended, and I do not intend to be limited only to the specific embodiment herein described, but, rather, I intend to be limited only by my disclosure taken as a whole, including the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a taping machine comprising a supporting structure, a brush attached to said supporting structure, said brush being formed with projecting bristles which terminate in free ends to collectively define a surface to which adhesive tape will detachably adhere, and means for providing relative motion between said brush and said supporting structure while adhesive tape is adhered to said surface; a switch operatively connected to said means for providing relative motion, an actuator for said switch and a shield for said actuator, said shield and said actuator extending into the bristles of said brush, from the free end of said bristles, with said actuator positioned within said shield to prevent said bristles from contacting said actuator, said shield containing slots positioned along the area of said shield adjacent said surface formed by the free ends of said bristles to permit the leading edge of adhesive tape which is adhered to said surface to enter said slots and contact said actuator as said tape is moved during relative movement between said brush and said supporting structure to activate said switch and thereby control said means for providing relative motion between said brush and said supporting structure.

2. A tape dispensing machine for providing a severed length of adhesive tape from a supply of said tape, said machine comprising a supporting structure, a brush attached to said supporting structure, said brush being formed with projecting bristles which terminate in free ends to collectively define a surface to which adhesive tape will detachably adhere, means for providing relative motion between said brush and said supporting structure while adhesive tape from said supply is adhered to said surface, means for severing said adhered tape across its width, and switch means operatively connected to said means for providingrelative motion and said severing means for controlling starting and stopping of said means for providing relative motion and for activating said severing means when said relative motion is stopped to sever a length of tape from said supply.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,945 12/1947 Engberg 226-96 705,040 7/ 1902 Copeland 83-98 1,179,119 4/1916 Lyon 83-42 2,142,728 1/ 1939 Kienzle 83-660 2,537,499 1/1951 Williamson 83-210 2,689,728 9/ 1954 Fritzinger 22696 2,742,963 4/1956 Klauss et a1. 83-210 2,763,481 9/ 1956 Hackett 22696 2,769,633 11/ 1956 Krueger 226-133 2,815,075 12/1957 Braunstein et a1. 83-391 FOREIGN PATENTS 42,276 5/ 1910 Austria. 1,030,352 3/ 1953 France.

700 1/1884 Great Britain. 73,783 11/ 1916 Switzerland.

ANDREW R. JUI-IASZ, Primary Examiner. CARL W. TOMLIN, Examiner. M. KOVAC, H. C. BOURNE, Assistant Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,338 ,125 August 29 1967 James H. Casey It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 24, after "end" insert extends into bristles 25. The edges of the U-shaped end Signed and sealed this 19th day of November 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, J1.

Attesting Officer 

2. A TAPE DISPENSING MACHINE FOR PROVIDING A SEVERED LENGTH OF ADHESIVE TAPE FROM A SUPPLY OF SAID TAPE, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A BRUSH ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, SAID BRUSH BEING FORMED WITH PROJECTING BRISTLES WHICH TERMINATE IN FREE ENDS TO COLLECTIVELY DEFINE A SURFACE TO WHICH ADHESIVE TAPE WILL DETACHABLY ADHERE, MEANS FOR PROVIDING RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN SAID BRUSH AND SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE WHILE ADHESIVE TAPE FROM SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE SURFACE, MEANS FOR SEVERING SAID ADHERED TAPE ACROSS ITS WIDTH, AND SWITCH MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MEANS FOR PROVIDING RELATIVE MOTION AND SAID SEVERING 